Today’s article hosts another particular nutritional program aiming at achieving a flat belly.
The Flat Belly Diet program promotes the burning of body fat, more specifically of the stubborn belly fat (known for the difficulties to take it apart).
However, is it possible for a diet alone to eliminate the belly fat and drive out the “love handles”?
It is a fact that most people fail to control their body fat and be free of it, as this effort may prove to be a huge and very difficult battle.
In any case, scientists warn that abdominal fat is not just a matter of look / beauty / confidence. Abdominal fat could signal significant and dangerous health problems for the individual, ranging for problems of sexual nature to serious health issues leading even fatal results.
Therefore, the reasons for trying to get rid of the accumulated fat in abdomen, stomach and waistline are more important than those you had in mind.
Visceral Fat – what it is and why needs attention
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As already pointed out, the disappearance of belly fat is not a matter concerning just aesthetic reasons, but mainly serious health reasons as well.
Abdominal fat – according to scientific studies – is directly associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and even sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction) for men.
Visceral fat – most dangerous form of fat
Finally, what is “visceral fat” and how differs from body fat?
Visceral fat – the intra-abdominal fat – is different from visible fat, classified into 3 categories:
• the subcutaneous (stored superficially under the skin)
• the intramuscular (stored between muscles)
• and the viscera (as its name implies – it is stored around the viscera, internally in the abdominal area)
Fat created by consuming excess calories in daily meals, when body stores the extra energy in form of fat in various fat spots, to use it when and if needed.
Nevertheless, the longer you continue to consume extra calories than needed by body, the body fat increases, in all three forms, subcutaneous, intramuscular, also the dangerous visceral fat.
The accumulation of fat – especially in abdomen and waist area – is related to a person’s gender. Genetically, men appear to have a greater tendency to accumulation of visceral fat. This reason is that women – due to increased estrogen (female hormones) – show less fat retention in this area of the body.
It is not a coincidence that following menopause, women gradually show an increase in their waist circumference and intra-abdominal fat. This is due to estrogen decrease. This reduction in estrogen, also leading to an increase in visceral fat, significantly increases not only the risk of cardiovascular disease, but of other diseases as well.
Visceral Fat – when starts to be dangerous?
For having protection prior to serious illness, he or she must measure his or her visceral fat with an MRI scan.
Since this is an expensive procedure not recommended by doctors and quite difficult to get into the process of motivating someone to do it with no serious health problem, experts suggest a simpler way to control visceral fat.
Waist circumference is a sort of alert, in cases of visceral fat increased dangerously.
Therefore, by measuring the waist you find out if there is reason to start worrying about your diet and your lifestyle and a change is required immediately.
The price is not the same for men and women, related to body type.
Therefore, for men a normal value below 94 cm looks normal, while for women this figure comes to 80 cm.
However, in addition to gender – already mentioned as playing an important role in the accumulation of visceral fat – heredity is another factor affecting the creation of this fat.
Genes are a key factor in a person’s tendency to increase intra-abdominal fat, the fat leading to a particular body type (the so-called “apple” body type).
ATTENTION: Significant increase in intra-abdominal (visceral) fat may occur in people treated with steroids.
Effect of increased visceral fat on health
As repeatedly mentioned, visceral fat is associated with many and even deadly diseases, as shown that the increase in intra-abdominal fat can be associated with patients suffering from:
• type 2 diabetes
• cardiovascular diseases
• hypertension
• colon cancer
• breast cancer
• Alzheimer’s disease
• erectile dysfunction (for men)
• sudden death
How to reduce it
Certainly, it’s difficult but not impossible.
Visceral fat can (and should) be reduced when exceeds the permissible (normal) limits.
This, however, requires first a change in diet and then (equally) a change in the individual’s general lifestyle.
In other words, requires determination, patience and perseverance.
Looking more specifically at some ways to get involved in an effective program for reducing visceral fat (fat accumulated internally in organs – pancreas, liver, intestine – and increases the circumference of your waist).
• Nutrition
Clearly diet is everything for managing body fat. A proper nutrition via diet, should not be complicated.
Clearly, when referring to an overweight or obese person, the need for serious dietary supervision and physical exercise is more urgent and crucial than for a person with a normal body weight.
• Physical exercise
Sedentary lifestyle is a factor largely bringing about serious diseases in life of modern man and almost all of them are associated with weight gain and body (especially visceral) fat.
Adopting a more active lifestyle with regular physical exercise is the only way to ensure a slimmer body and a healthier body.
• Stress Management
Stress is another reason leading many people to overeat and increase belly fat. There are methods that a person can now effectively manage its daily stress creating tension and stress.
Psychotherapy, meditation, yoga, manual activities, hobbies, sports, arts, are some effective ways to eliminate “bad” thoughts and stress.
What’s included in Flat Belly Diet?
• Fiber
• Vegetable protein
• Animal protein
• Meat (lean)
• Fish
• Protein Supplements
• Eggs
• Probiotics
• Foods rich in Ω3 fatty acids
• Apple cider vinegar
• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Greens
• Herbs
• Legumes
• Dairy products (low fat)
• Whole grains
• Kefir
• Spices
• Water
• Coffee (without sweeteners)
• Green tea (without sweeteners)
• Legal steroid supplements to increase muscle mass
What’s excluded from a Flat Belly Diet?
• Alcoholic beverage
• Sugary soft drinks
• Commercial juices
• Soft drinks
• Processed carbohydrates
• Sugar & sweets
• Steroid Anabolic Supplements (increase visceral fat)
ATTENTION: All the above “prohibited” foods (except for anabolic steroids (banned by law currently) can be consumed with prudence and within the permissible limit (always depending on the physical condition and health status of the person)
TIPS for a flat stomach
• Do not eat late at night.
• Make sure you sleep properly and on schedule.
• Drink plenty of water and avoid soft drinks.
• Boost your effort with the best natural supplements for stomach fat
• Prefer natural juices instead of commercial juices.
• Eat whole fruits and vegetables to get more fiber to increase fat loss.
• Do not eat indigestible and heavy foods at night.
• Eat small and frequent meals throughout the day.
• Exercise regularly.
• Walk daily for at least 30 minutes.
• Do a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training.
• Weigh your waist regularly and measure so that you do not go beyond the limits.
• Increase your muscle mass with exercise and proper nutritional supplements.
• Prefer complex carbohydrates.
• Make sure you follow a controlled caloric intake / day.
• Have sex.
• Engage in activities that help you relax and relieve stress.
• Prefer to use pure olive oil instead of butter in your food.
• Take care of your health and do regular check-ups.
